Orlando

Orlando

The hero, Orlando, loses his mind thanks to his unrequited love for Angelica, the Queen of Cathay. Angelica is in love with Medoro, who has left the shepherdess, Dorinda, because of her. However, the master of events is a friend of Orlando, the magician, Zoroastro. Freed from his love delusion with his help, disappointed, Orlando turns away from love and back to combat and glory.

"Orlando" represents the end of an era, but at the same time constitutes an interesting new beginning in Handel's oeuvre, since the composer moved away dramatically and musically from established artistic traditions, by for example, reducing the da capo arias or breaking up their strict form.

A recording from the Theater an der Wien in the Vienna Chamber Opera, 2013.